Travel dates booked

These are the travel dates we have booked. 

January 4 to 8 -- drive to Leavenworth WA, stay in a WorldMark resort condo, w/Bill Jones. 

Bill is already staying with us for Christmas and New Years. 

We need to go see some snow. 

 

February 3 to 10 -- fly to San Diego, visit Fitz, do dentist in TJ. 

Manfred broke some teeth in his permanently implanted denture. 

Good excuse to visit our dear friends in SoCal. 

Other than those, we will be here in Port Orchard WA. 

We are hoping for family visits, any time. 

More to come

We are still in Port Orchard, doing our usual thing. I put a new post or two here, but they are not here. So I have to redo them.

We went to Tacoma Mall to replace the Zagg cover on my iPad and to get some training at the Apple Store. I bought some salt scrub in a mall kiosk because we had both tried it in Disney and like it.

Joel came to buy our older MacBook computer and helped us with some stuff on the newer MacBook Air. We found it was infected with malware, adware actually.  !!??!!  I don't know how it got there, I went to the Apple Store to get it fixed. 

He put the lighted Apple logo from a laptop into a suitcase.  It is definitely outstanding. 

  

We can't have a proper Thanksgiving this year, because Bill Jones said he would come, then changed his mind when it's too late to make other provisions. We will just go to a restaurant by ourselves. 

Back in Port Orchard

We arrived home just around midnight on Nov. 6.

It was a dark and stormy night. And very cold.
And the house was cold. But we made it.

We had wonderful visit with Karen and Richard, in the beautiful condo in Orlando. I was like another vacation. On Nov 5, they drove us to Ft Lauderdale to catch the 6:30 AlaskaAir non-stop flight to Seattle. After 6 ½ hours' flight we landed and took a bus for 1 hour and then a taxi to the house.

Now we have been catching up, on banking, bills, mail, getting groceries, washing, getting out heaters and cold weather clothes, and such. I had to get a new pair of glasses, because I lost mine on the ship coming home. Our cat won't associate with us, but she eats, so we got more food.

I was finally able to upgrade my system on my iPad to iOS 8.1, at a time I could go to the Apple Store and get some pointers on it. Its way of handling photos has changed, and I can't really go with it because it is so tied in with iCloud Drive and all other devices, and our other devices are too old. I'll have to wait for the upgrades. But I am using the editing tools on Photos.

Anyway, I got the Zagg cover replaced, so it feels good again. No more black marks from Sharpie permanent marker. FYI - dry erase marker does not remove permanent marker ink from a Zagg cover, in fact, it scuffs it. 

The typing on the new version is very strange. It offers 3 words to choose from as soon as I type the 1st letter. Sometimes even before the 1st letter. And they are so often correct. I have not tried dictation yet.  My Siri doesn't understand me, dictation probably won't, too. 

October 31 - Halloween - Our Anniversary

Today we met up with our friends from Victoria,

Chas and Heather Martin, and they treated us to a 33rd anniversary dinner and dessert at Chilli's near Disney World.  Yum!

This is only our 2nd time here.  Chas comes 2 or 3 times a year, but Heather has not been here for a couple of years. We just happened to luck out, all being here, in Orlando, at the same time. 🎃

It was much fun. Unfortunately, they didn't get to meet Karen and Richard, who were coming from Jacksonville. 

Back in USA

.We're not home, yet, but getting closer.

We got off our big, beautiful ship, Oasis of the Seas, yesterday and stayed in the Best Western.  Karen picked us up this morning and drove us to Orlando to stay a week in a big, beautiful World Mark condo. It's 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, bigger than our house. We will be here for a week. This is the fountain in the lobby. And the grand piano.

It is very near Disney World. Here are more photos.

Cruising home on Oasis

We went back across the pond with the same ship, the Oasis of the Seas. It had dry docked and changed a few things. Some things didn't work as well as b4, like the TV/computer system, but we still loved it, and had a great time.

I had developed sciatica and it was getting worse each day, very difficult to walk. Manfred was having similar pains. So we took a series of acupuncture treatments, which was so convenient. No need to drive somewhere, find parking place, etc. -- just go down the elevator. My sciatica went away. Manfred didn't see that much difference. It was expensive. 

We totally enjoyed the boat, in spite of some bad weather. We especially liked the food. We used the Solarium a lot, this time, and the hot tubs. The big show was Cats -- fabulous. We saw other great shows, too. 

Maria Alm RCI resort was great

 We had such a good time, having breakfast in our kitchen, having coffee on our balcony, swimming in our pool, driving around the beautiful countryside, visiting cute little villages, eating great food.

 

On October 11th & 12th we return to St.Gipgen. On the 13th we turn in our car in Salzburg and take trains to Frankfurt. On the 14th we proceed by train to Rotterdam. There we will board the same boat we came on, the Oasis of the Seas, to go back "across the pond" to Florida. 

RCI resort in Maria Alm, Austria

We are spending a week here at the Marco Polo Alpina hotel in a beautiful ski resort town in the alps. We love the hotel, which leaves that Italian one for dead. Our apartment is so nice -- living room, kitchen, balcony with beautiful view. There's a nice indoor pool, a restaurant and a bistro. The surrounding area is also very nice. The only problem is that the Internet connection is terrible.

Having a wonderful time in St.Gilgen

We are staying in the best guesthouse in the world. We have the most beautiful views in the world. We get to drive around to beautiful lakes and cute villages and eat wonderful food. We get fresh baked rolls and fresh milk every morning.  We get to get together with friends to talk story. We can video chat with friends in America.

For Manfred's big 8-0 birthday, our friends took us to a little lake where we walked about a kilometer to a little restaurant on the water's edge. There was no road there, no cars, no car sounds, no motor sounds whatsoever. The food was wonderful.

Yesterday we drove to Hallstatt, most enjoyable.

Today, we drove to Salzburg to reserve our train tickets for the trip to Rotterdam to catch the boat. We are going 1st class on high-speed trains, so reservations are important. Last time we didn't reserve and we had to travel 2nd class (Yuk!).  The countryside was rainy and foggy, misty and mysterious, quite lovely. 

Sept 27 - St.Gilgen

Today we went to Runi's place for lunch. She made true Wiener Schnitzel (with veal) and mashed potatoes, and salad. For desert, she made a polenta that looked like cake, with chocolate frosting and whipped cream. I liked it, Manfred was not so sure. 

There was a little craft fair going on, so we went, Manfred sat and I walked through it. Lots of felt things, hats, purses, capes, slpers, cat beds, etc. Pretty pottery, clever jewelry, wooden things, soaps and such. 

We are now sitting on our balcony, admiring the lake and the mountains and watching hang-gliders gliding around and coming down. There are some sailboats on the lake, and of it is all so very peaceful. This I took just now:

 

Sept 26 - St. Gilgen

Here is the view from our balcony. 

 It's what I've been waiting for. 

We were supposed to go to Munich today, to look for Cross pen nibs for #1 son, and to see Oktoberfest, but Manfred wasn't feeling well, so we didn't go. We might not need to look for the nibs, and we've been to Oktoberfest b4. Anyway, we stayed in our lovely apartment. 

Sept 24-25 - St. Gilgen - Salzburg Marionette Theater

9/24/14 - St.Gilgen

We had bread and jam and met w/Runi @ 10:30 to go in her car to Salzburg to meet Reingard at the fair. We walked through the fair, bought a pretzel and had coffee at an outdoor table. The weather was warm and sunny.  We got sandwiches for lunch and some snitzel to take home for dinner and had another coffee on my fav roof-top cafe overlooking the City.  

Runi & Reingart bought tickets for us to go to the marionettes performance of Die Zauberflöte tomorrow, 9/25, "for our birthday presents."  What a wonderful present!  I have always wanted to see that, ever since I first heard of it, many years ago, when I first met Runi.

We got back at about 4 and went to our lovely place for a rest.

9/25/14 - St.Gilgen und Salzburg Marionettentheatre 

This is the day we go to Salzburg on our own to see Die Zauberflöte in the Marionettentheatre. Runi made knüdle for us, it was sooo gooood. She spent much time showing Manfred how to get to the parking garage across from the theater. We used the GPS, sort of, and drove right straight there. We allowed an hour and a half, it took only half an hour. So we strolled in the Mirabelle Garden for a bit, then went into the theater. The performance was so cute and charming, a wonderful way to put on an opera, especially this one. It was ausgezeichnet. We got back b4 10:30.

The car is rather strange. Whenever it stops, the engine dies. It's supposed to!  Then, when you take your foot off the brake, it starts again. There are too many little lights inside at night. It tries to help you park. The built-in GPS is TomTom, but not at all like ours - I don't like it at all. I would never want a built-in GPS.  

Sept 23 - St. Gilgen, finally!

9/23/14 - Innsbruk to Salzburg to St.Gilgen

I woke up at 4:30 am, because of going to bed so early, so I did some updating of blog, etc. the wifi here is the best we have had since we left home. The place is called Pension Stoi, a short walk from the Innsbruk train station. The room is large, on the ground floor, sink in the room, toilet & shower ensuite, wardrobe, table & chairs but no easy chair. Tiny tube TV. Everything looks new and sparkling clean. There are other toilets and showers in the hall, so some rooms might not have them ensuite. 

We went out to get the SIM card, and I was shocked to find that Manfred wanted it for the stupid old dumb phone he bought in Europe on another trip. I assumed it was going to be for the iPhone. This is ridiculous. By the next trip, the iPhone will probably be too old for anything. He called Runi from the store, to make sure he knew how to use it. She called back, and he didn't recognize the ringtone. heehee☺️. 

We had coffee and toast in a nearby cafe. It was very good. We sat in the McDonalds in the bahnhoff, because we just missed one train and had to wait 1:15 for the next one. They had nice seats and good coffee. On our devices, we keep getting wifi bars but no access to Internet, in restaurants, train station, train car, etc. I keep accepting the rules, but it still doesn't work. What am I doing wrong?

The train, very smooth, finally in 1st class, watching the über-green fields and blue mountains and cute villages whisk by. It mostly went only 130km/hr, which is just under 80mph, which was the speed limit on the highways in Italy. After getting into Salzburg hbf after 7pm, then we looked for a rental car. Got

  Avis gave us a biggish car for 930€ / $1,200 for 3 weeks. The built-in GPS was a bit strange, but Manfred was able to drive  to St.Gilgen ok, but finding the house was harder. We finally

 got there and Runi had cake and coffee waiting for us. After a good long chat, we went to our new place, the top floor of the Hausa Stadler -- it is totally fantastic, with my fav view. 

September 22 - Sestriere, Italy to Innsbruk, Austria

We got up at 5:30 and got into the car a bit after 7. Had time to do some email. 

We got caught in a traffic jam due to one lane being closed, so we were later than we scheduled turning in the car. It took over 20 minutes to find the counter and go thru inspection. The bus from the airport to the train station was very slow. We had missed the 10 a.m. train so we got tickets for the 11:19 one. We had to pay over 20€ each for fast trains and we had to settle for 2nd class, because 1st was sold out. 😰 then we got on the wrong train because a local guy that spoke a bit of English insisted that it was the right one. We had to change in a tiny town. Quite fast, but the tracks are not so smooth like the ones I remember in Spain and Germany. We finally got to eat a sandwich.

We had to change trains in Verona and the station was very crowded. The train was late and the waiting place was hot, dirty, and had no possibility of buying refreshment. The train is also very crowded. We were in a compartment with 4 other folks & a toddler, and the train is not as fast, but the high cliffs on either side are imposing. Lots of grapes growing. 

After a lot more great scenery, we finally arrived at Innsbruk, very tired and hungry. It was dark, cuz the train was over 1/2 hour late. After asking around, we found a pension with free wifi. They sent us to a brew-pub for dinner. Very crowded, but excellent food and beer. I had pork snitzel and potatoes, Manfred had a sausage dish w/sauerkraut. Yum. Slept early. It's nice that at least one of us knows the language. And it's good that we have a rest before meeting Runi. 

September 21 - Italy

Sestriere

Today we woke up to a mountain view! Spectacular, with lots of ski lifts. The close hills are pretty barren, but we can see snowy peaks behind them, including a dusting of new snow. There were high clouds at 7 am, but now, 9:30, it's mostly blue sky, and the sun is blazing in through the window. 

After catching up with some email on this veerrry slloooww network, we drove into Oulx again. But it was a totally different drive today, since we could see all the views of beautiful mountain scenery. We went to the shopping center, and stopped in a beautiful little town on the way back. We had a dish of baked polenta with mozzarella and other cheeses - delicious - at a charming outdoor table on a cobbled street with a public fountain. Lovely.

September 20 - Italy

Today we woke up to a mountain view!  Spectacular, with lots of ski lifts. The close hills are pretty barren, but we can see snowy peaks behind them, including a dusting of new snow. There were high clouds at 7 am, but now, 9:30, it's mostly blue sky, and the sun is blazing in through the window. I had to draw the curtain in order to sit on the sofa. The balcony door is a pain. There is absolutely nothing on the outside to hold onto to pull it shut or to latch it, and it swings open-inward by itself. 

After catching up with some email on this veerrry slloooww network, we drove into Oulx again. But it was a totally different drive today, since we could see all the views of beautiful mountain scenery. We went to the shopping center, and stopped in a beautiful little town on the way back. We had a dish of baked polenta with mozzarella and other cheeses - delicious - at a charming outdoor table on a cobbled street with a public fountain. 

  

September 18-19 - Italy

9/18/14 - Sestriere 

Today we drove to the nearest town, Oulx, to the shopping center.  The town is quite small, and the wholeshping center is not half as big as a Walmart in the US. Manfred bought veggies and soup mix. 

When you buy produce from a bin, you bag them, put them on a scale and punch the picture of the item on a screen. The scale puts out a sticker with the weight and price, which you stick onto the bag. The checkout girl does not have to know all the prices. I don't think it would work in the US, because there's nothing stopping people from punching a cheaper picture, or adding more items to the bag. I guess that Europeans are more honest than Americans. 

The meat counter has a butcher who wraps up your choices. Manfred bought some sausage.  

The store also sold clothes and household goods. 

The drive was a bit hairy because the road is very narrow and windy, with sharp switchbacks, and it was very foggy until we got to the town, which was below the clouds. The TomTom works very well. Almost every intersection is a tiny roundabout, and the GPS voice is British - Manfred can't hear the difference between "take the 1st exit" and "take the 3rd exit." On the way back, we stopped at a tiny village for some gelato. Yum!  

When we got "home" I stayed in the lobby to do Internet stuff. When I got up to the apartment, it had the wonderful smell of soup cooking. 

9/19/14 - Sestriere 

Today, we could see the valley and a bit of blue sky in the morning, but then it got socked in again, and we just stayed in the building all day, and ate bread and eggs and soup. There is something to be said for not having anything at all to do. I read another book, Manfred wrote things and studied maps. It was strange, but fun. 

Sept 16-17 - Italy

9/16/14 Barcelona to Turin 

Got up at 7 am  to pack. Manfred is making such a fuss about his coat that I packed it in the new overflow bag. Boarding passes and passports in hand, we got a taxi on La Rambla to the Praça Calalunya to catch an aero bus to the airport. All quite easy. We checked the 2 roller bags cuz it's free. We booked the A & C seats in the back, hoping no one would want the middle one, and it worked!  First time!  Actually all 3 seats across the aisle from us were empty, as well.  Then we had to pay 5€ for coffee and oj! 

We went to the car rental place in the airport, 6 or 7 companies. Only one had a car, and that was 40€/day!  And the GPS cost mega also. We paid 283€/$382 for the car w/GPS = 48€/$65 per day, plus 1100€/$1350 deposit. We have to get a car early for Austria. Our fav credit cards were declined! We had to use the Kitsap and the Wyndham. We need to get the TravelCard working again. 

The GPS took us through fast autostradas and slow narrow-windys to the little ski village of Sestriere, high in the hills. We stopped for a snack in one of the many villages we passed through, and arrived at the resort around 5 pm. After a rest, we went to a pizza place that had no pizza. We had pasta w/shrooms and real Parmesan cheese and wine and beer. And coffee. Very good. 

The apartment is very cute, but the sofa was opened to be a bed so there was no place to sit. There is a tiny bedroom with bunk beds, but we couldn't close the sofa bed, so we slept on it.  The "partial kitchen" has gas burners, under-counter fridge, pots and dishes, dishwasher, but no blender, toaster or microwave. 

We are really seeing out-of-the-way places because of RCI. We would never get to such a place otherwise. It's quite beautiful, but so far, really foggy. 

9/17/14 RCI Sestriére Italy - PalaceResidence.com

This RCI place is so cute. There is a living-dining room with a futon-like sofa-bed, a sideboard with little TV, a table with built-in bench seating and a couple of primitive chairs. The kitchen is for 1 person only. The stove has 3 gas burners and 1 electric one. There is an under-stove fridge where the oven should be, but there is a dishwasher. 

We had them close the sofa-bed and we slept in the bunks - very sturdy and comfortable, actually. There's no room for any other furniture, so a shelf on the wall serves as a place to put things. It is very foggy and we can't see the mountains at all, sometimes we can see the valley below and sometimes we can barely see the next building. 

Manfred went to the little convenience store to get the essentials: bread & butter, ham & eggs, coffee & milk, salt & pepper. It should have been salt & sugar. The bread and butter is so delicious and so filling, I could live on it. With coffee, of course.  We paid 2€ for 2 soap cakes to wash 2 small loads of clothes. Using the 2 washers and 1 dryer is free. The laundry room is right across the hall from our apartment, so we got all our clothes washed and dried and smelling good again. 

Around 7 pm, we went back to the store to get a few more things: cheese, honey, yogurt, more butter, wine, salami. Then we went to the other pizza place where they did have pizza. Those are the only 2 restaurants open in Sestriere at this time of year. We had the pizza primavera, which was unbelievably delicious, and red wine, also delicious. 

The wifi here is not great. Upload is slow, sending mail is slower. Download takes forever, and we have to sit in the lobby. 

September 14-15 -- Barcelona

We arrived here yesterday on the Oasis of the Seas cruise from Ft. Lauderdale.  We had changed our hostel room booking from 3 nights to 2 nights, planning to overnight on the ferry to Rome. However, on looking at the times and trains and such, it would involve spending a not-so-comfortable night on the ferry, immediately followed by a not-at-all-comfortable night taking 3 trains to reach our destination, arriving 1 day late. Ergo, we decided to fly, which is a bit cheaper, even tho we have to pay $86€ for 1 more night in the Hostal Opera Ramblas. This will give us time tomorrow to look for art prints for Rick & Karen. We tried today, but it is Sunday and the shops are closed. 

After Manfred spent 2 patient hours trying to book a flight from Barcelona to Turin, it didn't quite happen. Maybe because he was requesting wheelchairs. We went out and ate in the American Soda restaurant on the corner, gazpacho and paiella. We liked it. Then we went and got hot fudge sundaes @ McDonalds, 10:40 pm, on a balmy night, directly across from the Liceu Opera, watching the endless parade of people. Unfortunately, all the living statues on La Rambla are missing. The government has not yet renewed their licenses, according to our concierge.

Next day we got the hostel concierge to call the Ciruelo distributors on our list, and he found one who had the prints, but they were very expensive, 60€/$110 each, because they are autographed - personally signed on the print.  We bought both for $247 for the 2, mailed to FL. Then we sat @ one of the many outdoor restaurants on the gimongous Plaça Catalunya to watch the people. I took some photos of the huge fountains, pigeons and such. 

We were finally able to get through all the RyanAir website hoops and buy tickets for the 10:55 am flight to Turin & got PDF boarding passes we could email to the concierge so he could print them. In the evening, Manfred wanted some wok food that he had seen earlier, on La Rambla. I had cheesecake for dinner.

OASIS Cruise Sept 2014 III

Day 10 - Wednesday 

Back to the buffet for breakfast. All I ate was a few pieces of melon, but it still felt bad after.  We went to the solarium for lunch. Gazpacho, salads, yum.  It is a beautiful place to sit, and to eat. And the food is more healthy. The hot tubs are huge and hang out over the ocean. It was very nice. 

For dinner, I had the dining room gazpacho, which is different/better than the solarium. As we left the dining room, the manager asked how we liked the food, and Manfred told him that the eggs Benedict was not good, over cooked, too dry, not enough sauce. The manager gave him a card and asked him to come tomorrow and he would see to it that he had good Bennys. 

Day 11 - Thursday - Malaga

Manfred watched the ship docking at 7 am. We went to the dining room early to collect the eggs Benedict Manfred was promised. It was good. I ordered scrambled eggs, big mistake. 

We decided not to go anywhere, but we did go ashore to the shops on the dock. They provided 1 hour of good, fast internet for 2€. Except that we did not have 2€. One never uses money on the ship, so we had put all of it in the safe. Manfred borrowed 2€ from someone we had met onboard. I downloaded many books, got email, sent email, and didn't finish using the whole hour. 

Our table mates didn't come for dinner, but a guy from the next table joined us. He's traveling alone, does 5 or 6 cruises per year.  It's interesting to hear different stories. I went for coffee at 1 am and read in my new books. 

Day 12 - Friday - last day

I found out that I didn't put in for our preferred disembarkation time, so they assigned us 6:30-7:00 am. We went to the a Customer Service desk and they gave us new luggage tags for 9-9:30 am departure. We'll have one more breakfast in the Windjammer buffet. Our last dinner with Sally and Howard and Rigor and Kumar was very nice. We will miss them. 

The port side wait staff in the Windjammer buffet are also very solicitous, telling Manfred when to call me, leading me to him, bringing coffee, juice, etc., it's a game. We will give them all 10s, for sure. 

The telephone didn't work for calling our benefactor who loaned us the 2€ yesterday, so we walked the whole length of the ship, in a corridor, to get to his room, we gave his wife $3, and she was surprised to get it. 

The bags have to be out in the corridor before 11. We found we have more stuff than will fit, we used a shopping bag for overflow.  I went to the cafe at midnight, and the Promenade was still hoppin', but by 1 a.m. It had quieted down, music stopped. Cruise is done. It was excellent. We look forward to the next one. 

Oasis Cruise Sept 2014 II

Day 5 - Friday

We went to ask about cruises back to FL. The Celebrity Reflection is now $1350 each, at least that's what they told us. So we bit the bullet and BOOKED the OASIS return voyage. No insurance. It was $1400 + gratuities = $1788 for both of us.   They gave commission to our AAA travel lady. We could have gotten it earlier for $499, $424 if boarded in Southampton. 

I bought a couple of necklaces with earrings, cheap bling @ $10 each. 

Finally figured out how to change my watch. We will advance 1 hour each day until we get on European time.

I looked on the TV at the shore excursions for Malaga. There are lots...  

--Alhambra $150 9.5 hours including 2 hrs bus each way. 

--Granada 3 hrs free time $65 7 hrs total. 

--Marbella & Puerto Banus $40 walking tour & free time, 4:30 hr

--Malaga see yourself $15. Don't know what the $15 is for ??

--Tapas tasting $70 drive past landmarks, walking tour, 3 restaurants 4.5 hrs

--Village of Mijas $44 walking tour 1 mile & steps. 4 hrs

---3 Malaga city tours, around $50 & 4 hrs, depend on walking ability. 

Norwegian charged $200 for the Alhambra, so this is much better. 

I lost my key/charge card so they replaced it. 

We love our dinner companions, Howard & Sally, so lively and fun. Our dinners were not that good. I sent mine back and got escargot instead, which was delicious, and cherries jubilee was lovely, even w/out flames.

Day 6 - Saturday

I couldn't find Manfred at breakfast, so I sat with a couple who are Armenians, born in Iran, living in L.A. Manfred had gone outside to his deck chair Schlafplatz, and a waiter finally brought him to me.  We are getting these waiters trained good, since we will be needing them again on the way home.  

I didn't finish writing this day's journal, and now I don't remember the rest.

Day 7 - Sunday

I went to the bridge lecture/discussion this morning. The Solarium for lunch. It was really nice, I had gazpacho, but I forgot about the duplicate bridge game @ 1:30. I went about 10 minutes late and watched. They play only 2 boards each and finish around 3. Then I went to the park and sat in a nice chair in the shade and read my book. 

We did the 1-hr Internet thing $20. Manfred got his blog uploaded, got in email, sent email to Bill, Diane and Rick, got answers from Diane (she loved the blog) & Bill (the cat won't associate with him, but eats well). We have time left, so we'll do it again after a few days. 

The dinner tonight was extra good.  This starts the 2nd week menus, only for transatlantic cruises, not used on the regular 1-week cruises. The waiter told us his story, very sad. But he is always so cheerful.  

We talked to an English couple who told us about www.cruise1st.com. It belongs to Royal Caribbean but gives better deals. Also, they recommend Ocean Sky Resort, a beach hotel in Ft.Lauderdale. 

Day 8 - Monday

Went to see Hair Spray (they brought it back). We didn't need to go early, there were empty seats. It was ok, but the sound system here is bad--way too loud. 

I finished all my Heyer books on the iPod. Started the last one on the iPad. I should have had more books!  Slept @ 3 am. 

Oasis cruise Sept 2014

Day 1 - Monday, Sept 1 - Boarding day. 

The boarding was rather painless. After security, we went to a counter where a guy gave us a cabin assignment and key cards with dining room table, etc. We trolled our bags onto the ship ourselves. We waited in an onboard cafe  for the rooms to be ready, then we rolled the bags to our cabin on Deck 11. It's very cute. We went for dinner at 6 pm, which was good, but we didn't like our table, no others guests there. 

Day 2 - Tuesday, Sept 2

First full day on the OASIS of the Seas. What a place! Manfred insisted on eating at the buffet. It's a beautiful place to sit, but a bad place to eat. 

We have been exploring and finding where things are. It is so huge, and we have to figure out all the free and not free food and quiet and nice places. 

There is no shortage of deck chairs, I'm sitting on one now--just took a photo of the view of sky and sea, and my toes and Manfred, sleeping on deck, in his new striped t-shirt. 

Central Park has the Park Cafe - excellent salad. Can't see the sea, but it's pleasant.  Formal night in the dining room, so Manfred put on his pants, and his coat over his new, striped t-shirt. We were alone at the table again, and we asked the waiter to get us together with other people soon.

Day 3 - Wednesday 

Manfred got up at 7 and went to the buffet. I got up at 9 and went to look for him. There were plenty of tables, including window ones. Park Cafe for lunch was good, but too crowded. Finally, after dinner alone again, we arranged to join another table tomorrow. 

I finished Soulless, the book Karen bought me, it was a lot of fun. 

Day 4 - Thursday

This morning I finally got on the TV to order tickets to shows. Not much left. I met Manfred at the Windjammer buffet - he was with an Israeli couple from Germany.  They recommended the crime lecture @ 11, so I went. It was interesting, about the assassination of Robert Kennedy. Lunch at 

Park Cafe, which was rather warm. The pool deck was too windy but I got a place on some sheltered, cushioned chaises under the stands.  It's great, I see the sea, no wind, no sun, nice music.

First time change today, had a lot of trouble trying to set my new watch. 

At dinner we met our new table-mates. Such a nice couple, Howard and Sally. They cruise a lot. They are going to visit England, France and Germany, including the Rhine and Oktoberfest. Then they fly home. 

We went to the Headliner show, a really good, hilarious ventriloquist. 

Then, we had a beer, for $5.50 at the pizza place, and took a couple slices of pizza to the room. It wasn't especially good. I wish we had Internet. Sally has the whole package, which I think is $240 - she says it's really slow. That's one very bad thing about boats. 

...to Ft. Lauderdale

And the whole place is a sauna. I thought it would be like Hawaii, but, no. Much hotter wetter. 

Number 1 Son and Number 1 Daughter-in-Law met us at the airport and we're staying in a nice Best Western Hotel near the airport and the cruise port. We didn't ever go to bed that night, since we had to leave home at 5:15 am. 

It was a heroic and MUCH-appreciated 5-hour drive for them to get here, and a 5:35 hrs flight for us. It reminded us why we don't ever want to fly anywhere if there's any alternative. Cruise ships are getting very busy, last minute deals are harder to get. More likely, the cheaper cabins get sold out. That's already happened to the Celebrity cruise from Rome to FL that we wanted to take. It looks like we might have to take the same Oasis ship back, even tho it's too early and it leaves from Southampton. 

We had a marvelous dinner last night, Mexican+, and now we have a day to enjoy with Rick and Karen and do a little last-minute shopping. 

Now we go

12 hours from now, we will be on our way to Europe via Florida and cruise ship. I'll be up all night, because we have to leave at 6 a.m. There's no point going to bed, since my usual bed time is 4 a.m.  

I'm anxious to see #1 Son and #1 Daughter-in-law. 

New iPad - new iPad classes - train trip

Still waiting on Manfred's passport to book the ship. Other things are still pending.

My iPad was having troubles, so after some weeks of trying to fix it, Apple finally replaced it!  So my iPad is now brand new. It's hard to use now because passwords and some settings have been lost, but it's quicker and smoother. I got a new Zagg cover for it, too.

Friday, the day of iPad exchange, we went on the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railway -- an authentic old steam train used to transport loggers in the old days.

And, on Wednesday, the 22nd, we had another pair of iPad classes at our good old Senior Center in Port Angeles. I had a co-teacher who will now carry on the classes, because it's a long drive for us. 

Planning Europe Trip

We have been working on options for Europe this Fall. Manfred wants to go and return by boat 'cuz flying is so awful these days. This is what it looks like now:

August 30 - fly to Ft.Lauderdale,  Alaska Air, non-stop

Sept 1 - take World's biggest cruise ship, Royal Carribbean Oasis of the Sea to Barcelona. 

Sept 13 - arrive Barcelona

Sept 16 - take overnight ferry to Rome

Sept 17 - arrive Rome, take train to Florence

Sept 18 - see David 

Sept 19 - take train to Innsbruk 

Sept 21 - rent car, drive to Fussen/Neuschwanstein and back

Sept 22 - train to Saltzburg, rent car,
.                  drive to St.Gilgen to stay @ Annalise's place

Sept 23-Oct 4 - visit w/ Runi, visit Salzkammergut,
.                            go to Munich for Oktoberfest, etc.

Oct 4 - drive to Maria Alm to stay in RCI condo one week

Oct 11 - drive back to St.Gilgen for 4 more days

Oct 14 - head for Rome

Oct 17 - board Celebrity cruise in Rome for Miami

Nov 1 - Miami, see Rick & Karen

Nov 5 - fly back to Seattle, Alaska Air, non-stop

We will get a Eurail Pass for the trains. 

What's booked is the flights to/from FLL, the RCI conco, and Annalise's place. 

Cruises can't be booked yet because we're waiting for Manfred's passport. He let it expire and now it's holding up the works. 

Now the new boy-cat is gone, too!

He seemed to be right at home, but after 2 or 3 days of coming and going outside, he didn't come back any more. It was raining and Bill closed his window, and I don't think he had learned how to jump up on the other window. He was the one most wanting to go outside, so maybe he's just a born vagabond. Manfred pictures him with his toys wrapped up in a bandanna on a stick.

At least we still have feline supervision -- a Wink without a Tiddly.  She is very demanding of brushing and petting. 

Bill stayed with us for almost a month. Now I'm starting to plan a trip to Europe, looking at travel by ship. We both have to admit that we can't get around like we used to. I get a backache after a trip to the grocery store. I will see if I can find boats both ways and then just visit Sintra, St Gilgen, and one other place. 

Mercutio is gone, new cats are here

Mercutio just didn't come home.

We waited for 10 days, then went to the Poulesbo Animal Shelter and got 2 "barn cats" - cats that have lived outdoors, and are free. A tabby male and a tuxedo female, both young, both very scared of people. They stayed hidden for several days, but now they come out.

We call them Tiddly (boy) and Winky (girl).

More iPad classes

We went to Port Angeles to teach 2 iPod classes: a beginners’ class from 11 to 1p.m. & “advanced” from 2 to 4 p.m.  There were not so many people, but it was beaucoup fun.

Bill was supposed to come, but then he had to go to a funeral. 

We have given up on Mercutio, and arranged to get a shelter cat, and maybe two. 

Mercutio is Missing

Where could he be?  He has been gone for 2 nights, now.

He was eating very well, very demanding: canned pet store cat food, wild sockeye salmon canned by Bill Jones, some dry kibble soaked in water, and mice or birds 3-4x/wk. he was putting on weight (when he was sick he became a bag of bones), shiny coat (brushed daily). 

We are so sad. The house is no good without him.

Tacoma day

 We went to the Apple Store in Tacoma. The speaker on my iPad was sounding terrible - they fixed it. 

  We wiped the drive on the older MacBook and installed Snow Leopard. Now it is ready to sell. I'm just hoping there was nothing on there that we need/want, because I forgot the external drive, so couldn't back up anything. 

Then I got the sticker/skin removed from my iPad, and got new Zagg covers, front and back. Looks like a different device. 

Goodby to the Blue Flames. It was pretty scratched and tattered. 

iPad class @ Senior Center

Yesterday I actually taught a class about iPads at the Port Angeles Senior Center!

I never saw such happy people!  It just goes to show you -- get an iPad and you will get happy.

They want me to do another class, iPad 2, and I want to also. It was so much fun. 

It was supposed to be limited to 8 people, but 9 got in before someone cut it off, and still others wanted to come.  So I might be able to give another beginners class as well.

  

My so happy Mothers Day

I actually got a FedEx package marked "Shari's Berries".

What a thrill! -- They have been advertising like crazy for the last 2 weeks those unbelievably beautiful strawberries coated with various chocolate concoctions. It was from Richard & Karen, that most wonderful son and daughter-in-law.

The ads say it's an unforgettable present, and they are 100% correct. The most delicious mix of two of my fav things. Yum!

Choo choo... Hello

Manfred just received his train-telephone from Chuck and Diane. It is very good-looking, and it not only whistles, it makes all the chuffing and clicking and screeching sounds of an old-fashioned steam engine pulling into a station.

Finally....

Flus and cough are mostly gone, terrible backache is gone, I think the tapping helped me, but I still feel terribly weak. Can't do much.
Manfred still coughs, can't do much, either.

Mercutio is still thin, he eats a little, then quits. Still catches creatures and sometimes eats them.

Now then....

Bill Jones returned to Canada on the 23rd. When we drove him to Port Angeles to get the ferry to Victoria, we visited the Senior Center, and I agreed to teach a class about iPad. It will be next month, May 22. I will probably also go to the Senior Center Fair, to give an Intro to iPad. I have this little campaign going to convince people, especially older people, that the iPad is the new computer. 

Mercutio is still very thin, he eats, but not enough. Manfred is feeding him. Mostly canned cat food and canned salmon. He hasn't brought in any critters, lately. 

I still feel very weak, from the cold I had, but Rosemary reminded me about EFT Tapping, and I used that to stop the cough. Manfred, too. Silly of me to have forgotten about it. 

Update...

Bill is visiting us, it's been a long time since the last time.

Robin is here in WA, giving 2 weekend clinics near Ellensburg. 

And I have a horrible cold, started about 4 days ago.
Tonight is a total lunar eclipse. 

The cherry trees are flowering and the fence got fixed. 

Robin visit

On Tuesday, April 15, Robin drove here from Ellensburg, where he is giving 2 weekend clinics, for lunch and a look around.  Then he went to the airport to pick up Natalie for their stay in Seattle.

My cold continues -- it's even more horrible.  Lunar eclipse was socked in, as usual. 

New WorldMark Credits are in

On April 1st (April Fools Day) our WorldMark credits were renewed (no joke). We have 17,000 of the expensive credits bought from WorldMark, and 5,000 cheaper, bought from 3rd party credits. So we now have 22,000 new credits, plus 1,600 left over from last year. 

We have used credits 4 times since our stay in the wonderful resort in Hungary. 

We stayed a week in San Diego in Dec. 2012, and 

in 2013 we spent a week in Leavenworth WA in May,

 then 5 days in Long Beach WA in September,

 and 5 days in expensive Indio CA penthouse in December. 

Spring is ....l.

Flowers are popping out all over the place. Some days it's sunny, some days it's rainy. Temperatures are cool, 40s and 50s.

This is the view from our front door.

Other pics snapped around town.

 

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